A PvP-focused extraction shooter set on the mysterious planet of Tau Ceti IV, Marathon will see players inhabit the bodies of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries who have been designed to survive the planet’s harsh environments, exploring the lost colony that once inhabited Tau Ceti’s surface. Players will engage solo or in crews of three, searching for mysterious alien artifacts, as well as for valuable loot and new weapons and gear that they can add to their collection.

A massive ghost ship hangs in low orbit over a lost colony. The 30,000 souls who called this world home have disappeared without a trace. Strange signals hint at rumors of mysterious artifacts, long-dormant AI, and troves of untold riches. You are a cybernetic mercenary – a Runner – and your destination is Tau Ceti IV. You are one of many, working solo or with a crew, venturing into the unknown and facing the unimaginable in a fight for survival, for riches, for fame... and for infamy. Who among you will write their names across the stars? 

In Marathon, players inhabit a Runner, a cybernetic mercenary scouring the remains of a lost colony of Tau Ceti IV for fortune and power. Players team up in crews of three as they battle rival Runner teams and hostile security forces for weapons and upgrades. Survive and everything they’ve scavenged is theirs to keep for future runs on Tau Ceti IV—or if they’re brave enough, a journey to the derelict Marathon ship that hangs above.

Welcome to Tau Ceti IV, a lost colony whose inhabitants disappeared without a trace. Rival factions compete for the resources left behind, hiring Runners who’ve given up their human form for biosynthetic shells. Death is but a hurdle in this cutthroat competition where power, fortune, and answers to Tau Ceti IV’s mysteries hang in the balance.

Choose from a roster of cybernetic mercenaries with unique abilities. Players customize their Runner’s playstyle with the weapons, implants, and equipment they collect on their runs. Strategize, execute, and become Tau Ceti’s most feared mercenary.

The Marathon Closed Alpha Test (6 GB in size) will start on April 23, 2025, at 10 AM PDT, and will run until May 4, 2025, at 10 AM PDT.

Below are the minimum specs for the Marathon Closed Alpha test:

• CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (4 GB) / AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (4 GB) / Intel Arc A580 (8 GB)
• Video Memory (VRAM): 4 GB
• DirectX: DirectX 12 with Feature Level 12_1 support
• Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit (latest Service Pack)

Please note that certain Intel ARC GPUs may not be supported. The Marathon Closed Alpha Test will have limited availability, meaning that only a small percentage of applicants will get access to the test. Unless you receive a direct invite code, to qualify, players must register for the test (instructions above) and:

• Be located in North America
• Be 18 years old or older
• Have access to and a valid account on a supported platform (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, and Steam)
• Have a valid Bungie.net account in good standing

Players can join the Marathon community Discord, where they can sign up for a chance to be one of the first to playtest Marathon. 

The Marathon Closed Alpha Test will support cross-play between all platforms. However, participants will only receive one code for their specified preferred platform and thus participants will not be able to play on multiple platforms with cross-save for this test. We plan to support both cross-play and cross-save at launch.

All account data will be deleted when the test servers are closed and no progress will be saved for launch.

While the Marathon Closed Alpha Test does not have a region lock on Steam and Xbox, we have limited server capacity outside North America, so your network experience while playing the game may be less than optimal.

The Alpha is region locked to North and South America on PlayStation 5.

We have servers located in multiple regions around the world. If you enter matchmaking with a crew of players in multiple different regions, we will select the best available server with the lowest average latency to your crew. Note that this depends on server availability, and your network experience while playing with a widely geographically separated crew may be less than optimal.

A PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live subscription is not required to play the Marathon Closed Alpha Test. However, one will be required when Marathon officially launches.

How do I sign up for the Marathon Closed Alpha Test??

Follow the steps below to register for the test:

• Join the official Marathon Discord Server
• Visit the  #🐛alpha_access  channel on the Discord Server, then type in  /alpha  and press Enter/Send on your keyboard
• Follow the prompts from the Marathon Discord Bot and answer a few questions to receive a link to the Alpha registration page on Bungie.net
• Sign into your Bungie.net account
  • If you don't have one, you will be prompted to create one
• Choose the platform you want to play the Marathon Alpha on
  • PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam
• Accept the Marathon Closed Alpha non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
• Consent to receive emails about the Marathon Closed Alpha
• Answer survey questions about your Marathon Closed Alpha gaming experience
  • This should take about five minutes to complete
• Once completed, you will be taken to a page telling you to watch your email
  • Emails will be sent out later next week
• If you are selected to participate in the Marathon Closed Alpha, you will receive an email from marathonthegame @ info.bungie.net (without the spaces) with instructions on next steps
  • Invites will go out both at the start of the Marathon Closed Alpha and continuously during the 2-week test period
  • Please make sure this email address is whitelisted in your mailbox, so you don’t miss it!

Marathon is designed from the start as a PvP-focused game and won’t have a single-player campaign, instead, with the PvP experience as the foundation, Marathon creates opportunities for player-driven stories to unfold, stories that are integrated with the overarching game narrative in a world full of persistent, evolving zones, where players create their own journey with every run they take. That might mean an unforgettable firefight against another crew vying for the same loot, or a last-second extraction while beset on all sides.

Compete for survival, riches, and renown in a world of evolving, persistent zones, where any run can lead to greatness.

Marathon's gunplay sets the stage for a unique mix of tactical and fast-paced action, where every run is a tense competition for a big score. End game challenges, ranked play, seasonal storytelling, community events, and more await in Season 1.

Marathon is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam) on September 23, 2025 with full cross-save and cross-play.